COGNOS 8

Framework Manager

TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES

SEEPZ, Mumbai

March-2006 COGNOS 8BI TOOLS BI Practice

 Agenda
• FM Details ( new features )
• Workshops

March-2006 COGNOS 8BI TOOLS BI Practice

 Framework Manager Process/Workflow
3rd Party Architect models
Data Metadata Impromptu Catalogs
Sources Sources

Framework Manager Models

XML Data Source
Import
Import

Content Manager Report Studio

Query Studio
Analysis Studio
Publish
Publish Content Consume
Consume
Store
Framework Other
Manager (SDK)
Export
Export
CWM file
Common Warehouse Metamodel

March-2006 COGNOS 8BI TOOLS BI Practice

 Framework Manager
• Metadata Modeling tool.
• An application that runs in Microsoft Windows and
provides a model development environment.
• Objects you work with:
– Projects
– Models
– Namespaces
– Packages
– Dimensions
– Query Subjects
– Query Items

March-2006 COGNOS 8BI TOOLS BI Practice

 Framework Manager Best Practices
• Take a multiple layer approach i.e.
– Database Layer :
• Data source query subjects
• Define query item properties
• Define all relationships
• Calculations and filters where possible
• Shields presentation layer from data(base) changes
– Performance Layer:
• Dimensional model consisting of Regular and Measure Dimesions.
• For creating complex query subjects to resolve SQL traps before creating dimension
objects
– Presentation Layer:
• Business of Data with Star Schema Grouping
• makes it easier for report authors to find and understand their data

• Customize Metadata at run-time

• Set up Query Item properties for Business Intelligence use

…Contd

March-2006 COGNOS 8BI TOOLS BI Practice

 Framework Manager Best Practices
• All Relationships exist in Database Layer, any discrepancies in cardinality or
relationships are correctly reflected by Determinants.

• Begin creating simplified, abstracted model query subjects/ dimensions and

measures for your business view.

• Resolve ambiguous relationships by creating multiple query subjects for role

playing dimensions.

• Create dimensions with levels, hierarchies and keys to enable automatic

aggregation capabilities and OLAP query functionality on relational sources.

• Create Measure Dimensions and adjust/set scope relationships.

• Create a Business View with the Star Schema Grouping Wizard

• Secure the Model for deployment.

March-2006 COGNOS 8BI TOOLS BI Practice

 Workshop 1
• Create a Simple ( Use Framework Manager Workshop 1 - Create a Simple Model.doc)
– Create project
– Import data source
– Project view
– Project objects and properties
– Organize project
– Diagram view
– Create model query
– Create short-cut
– Publish package
– Access information

March-2006 COGNOS 8BI TOOLS BI Practice

 Cognos 8 Framework Manager

Dimensional Modeling

March-2006 COGNOS 8BI TOOLS BI Practice

 Working with Dimensions
• Broad grouping of descriptive data about a major
aspect of a business
• Types are
– Regular e.g. Product, Time
– Measure e.g. Sales
• Regular Dimension organizes the information in a
hierarchy, from the highest level of granularity to the
lowest.

March-2006 COGNOS 8BI TOOLS BI Practice

 Working with Dimensions

• Specify the Default Roles

• _businessKey : key for the level in a hierarchy
• _memberCaption: Presents the caption for a
member that will be shown in the report authoring
tools.
• _memberDescription : Returns the description for
a member within a dimension.

March-2006 COGNOS 8BI TOOLS BI Practice

 Working with Dimensions
• Measure dimension is a collection of facts
• Cannot define hierarchies or levels for a measure
dimension.

• Define Scope Relationships between the Measure and

Regular Dimensions.
• Measure and Regular Dimensions organized into
cluster is referred as Star Schema Group

March-2006 COGNOS 8BI TOOLS BI Practice

 Filters
• A filter is an expression that specifies the conditions that rows or instances
must meet to be retrieved for the dimension, query subject, calculation, or
report to which the filter is applied.
• Two types of filters:
– Stand-alone : to reuse the expression.
– Embedded: to use a filter with only one dimension or query subject.

• Filters can be defined:

– Using Prompts Values
– Creating Parameter Maps

March-2006 COGNOS 8BI TOOLS BI Practice

 Using Prompt Values to Filter Data
• Substitute a prompt for a value so that users can filter data by typing a value when
the report opens
• One can use prompts in
– parameter maps
– session parameters
– stored procedure arguments
– expressions, including filters, calculations, and relationships

March-2006 COGNOS 8BI TOOLS BI Practice

 Parameter Maps
• Use parameters to create conditional query subjects that allow for substitutions
when the report is run.
• Parameter maps are objects that store key-value pairs.
• These are similar to data source look-up tables.
• Each parameter map has two columns, one for the key and one for the value that
the key represents.
• Examples of Parameter map Usage are:
– Specifying a Language Value for Relational Metadata
– Moving a Relational Model from One Environment to Another
• Session Parameter is a variable associated with a session. E.g. User Id, Preferred
Language
• Environment Session Parameters are predefined and stored in Content Manager.
E.g. runLocale, account.DefaultName, account.personalInfo.userName
• Model Session Parameters are custom parameters created while creating the model.
These are stored in a parameter map named _env.

March-2006 COGNOS 8BI TOOLS BI Practice

 Security
• Three different types of Security:
– Data security:
• Create a security filter and apply it to a specific query subject.
– Object security:
• Secure an object directly by allowing users access to the object, denying users
access to the object, or keeping it hidden for all users.
– Package security:
• Apply security to a package and identify who has access to that package
• Security is added using Users, Groups and Roles.

March-2006 COGNOS 8BI TOOLS BI Practice

 Manage the Business View
• Central business view
• Establish and enforce business rules
• Manage the end-user view of business information
• Create and Publish metadata

March-2006 COGNOS 8BI TOOLS BI Practice